Chapter 1: Introductions. Part 4: Brad and Ivan
Six days before the invasion on the northern outskirts of Las Vegas, out in the desert of Nevada, there was an oasis, small, unnoticeable, barely worth mentioning, most never even knew it existed, and the ones that did knew of its secrets. A fifteen year old boy was out there, muscular and lean, tall and handsome with a square jaw and light brown hair that seemed to glisten in the sun, his blue eyes shone with confidence that was beaten only by his brilliant smile that could cause women to swoon if they so much as glanced at him. He was wearing a karate gi, blue and red with a brown belt, and he was known as Brad Lites and he was a well acclaimed American football star of his local high school; the necessary credentials to be as confident and cocky as possible as he swaggered, along with his countless riches. He was accompanied by a tiny boy who at first glance you would not believe was real. He was short and fat, even for a ten year old like himself, with a long pointed nose and large bug-like eyes that were accentuated by his glasses and black windswept hair. He wore no fancy martial arts outfit like the older boy beside him; merely a collared t-shirt and an arrogant smile that was broadcasting to the world that he was not to be underestimated, and they called him Ivan Mohinder-Stream
“So you have no idea what’s got your masters’ diapers in a knot?” Ivan said with an air of authority despite the fact he still sounded like a ten year old.
“The message was all about “impending doom” “We need the chosen one” and of course “The Samurai of Ather are threatening our freedom once again,” that sort of crap,” Brad said with a shrug as he mockingly imitated his old teachers.
“It wouldn’t hurt for you to pay attention once in a while,” Ivan said, rolling his eyes.
“Hey, that’s your job, egghead,” Brad said grinned, and his crassness was met with a punch to the thigh that he nursed until they arrived at the oasis. Once they did, Brad took hold of a nearby thorn bush and reached into it swiftly and pulled a lever hidden beneath the thorns. His arm was unscathed. He stepped back and he and Ivan soon bore witness to the oasis’s water sinking into in what appeared to be a drainhole. They waded in the shallow water towards the swirling center that held a spiraling staircase beneath a complex mechanism that quickly closed as soon as the boys had entered. As they made their way down, the caverns below them were increasingly growing more spacious and more well lit and soon it was as though they were in a whole no world, a miniature civilization of bamboo huts and paper walls, lakes and a water fall, and scores of young adults, teenagers, and children practicing martial arts in similar blue and red gis. Upon the huts and local stones and nearby torches were flags with the traditional yinyang symbol only the typical black and white swirl and dots were replaced with red and blue ones.
This was one of the training camps of the Yin-Yang ninjas, a worldwide organization of ninjitsu and jujitsu practitioners who mastered the art of our body’s own energy to manifest supernatural effects.
Ivan and Brad passed by the training groups and immediately when towards the central house surrounded by coursing water. As they entered, five men in long flowing robes whose ages ranged from 35 to 60 years were before them, sitting on the floor and talking amongst themselves.
“Yo sensei, what’s going on?” Brad announced loudly as he slammed the door behind him. The old men were expecting Brad but they cringed nonetheless at his behavior.
“You bring this outsider yet again!” One of the younger old men called out viciously.
“Where this idiot goes, I go, you don’t want your biggest weapon walking around without a brain, do you?” Ivan smirked snidely at the old men while Brad grimaced at his younger friend.
“Hey! I’ve got plenty of brains, you think I became master ninja by mailing postcards, pipsqueak?” Brad yelled at Ivan. Ivan had more intelligent responses in mind but the remark at his height allowed his emotions to get the better of him.
“Well, dunderhead, that would require you to be a master ninja in the first place!” Ivan yelled back.
“Bug-eyed freak!”
“Dyslexic dullard!”
“Pointy nose!”
“Glory hog!”
“Butterball!”
“Jock!”
“NNNNNNERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRD!”
“ENOUGH!” Yelled the eldest of the masters and soon enough Brad and Ivan ceased and proceeded to burst into uncontrollable laughter. The old men groaned and were in various states of “face in palms in utter disgust.” The eldest master cleared his throat loudly about a minute later and Brad and Ivan slowly ceased their laughter.
“Ahem…. Bradley Lites, chosen of the master energies of the Fire and Ice Yin-Yang Shinobi, our hero in times of great disaster brought upon by our ancient foes, the despicable Samurai of Ae-,”
“Yeah yeah Sensei, I know about all that pompo-circum-stuff, just get the part where I get to kick some ass!” One of the masters scrunched up his face as though he was ready to attack brad but one beside him patted his shoulder peaceably.
“Bradley Lites, we have received word from the chosen of the Yin Yang Shinobi on the far east coast,” The eldest master announced.
“There are other chosens?” Ivan asked with a curious smile.
“The Yin-Yang Master energies are vast and ancient,” The eldest master explained. “The chosen we speak of is the chosen of the original Yin-Yang master energies. We are one of several subdivsions in the order, and we are all dedicated to the art of balance. Bradley Lites is the current chosen of our Fire and Ice Energies. The other master energies have not been able to find their chosen champion as of yet.”
“I don’t need their help anyway. Whatever those samurai have planned, they can’t handle this!” Brad said as he pointed at himself.
“Unfortunately this is not true, the help of both you and him are needed, and maybe more,” the Eldest explained. “I recall hearing stories of some of your more unconventional opponents- I believe you and your friend have named such as the “All-Star”, the “Populark” and the “Cool” kids and their unusual abilities? The report from the Yin Yang chosen has noted that many of these unusual creatures may have a common origin, an extra-terrestrial enemy that the Samurai of Aether plan to ally themselves with.” Brad was taking it all in mostly, nodding occasionally as the eldest went on, but every word fell out of his brain the very second “extra-terrestrial” was mentioned.
“ALIENS!? We get to fight ALIENS!?” exclaimed as he jumped up and down and cheered. Ivan muffled his face in his palm.
“A-hem,” The eldest master coughed loudly. “Yes, “aliens” as it were. To make this as concise as possible, your presence in Washington D.C. with our east faction is urgently desired.”
“We can do it!” Brad shouted with a fist in the air
“We are placing all our faith in you… Bradley” One of the masters said weakly.
“And of course I’m going too,” Ivan said smugly. Brad brought his hands down to Ivan’s level who gave him a high five, or rather a low five.
“Well duh, can’t go without my main man!” Brad said excitedly.
“We can’t allow you to bring this… civilian into our issues, this is not his concern!” The eldest Master cried as he pointed accusingly at the small boy. Ivan squinted threateningly at the old men.
“Well the wind spirit in my head says differently….” Ivan said with a shady smile the room quavered slightly and as items started shaking a powerful gust burst through the windows and the old masters were suddenly lifted above the flow in a swirl of wind, the room shaking harder as they rose higher and higher.
“You know what I can do, and if the danger is as bad as you say, Bradley and you guys require me!” Ivan said. He widened his eyes, the air suddenly became still, and the five old men hit the floor in a weak clump. Brad laughed as he and Ivan made their way to the exit.
“We’re goin’ to DC!” Brad said excitedly to his little friend. “How are you gonna swing it to your parents?”
“Well I presume you’re going to use your vast wealth to get us to DC as soon as possible, first class of course?”
“Of course, man! And our in-flight movies will be Power Rangers the whole way!”
“Excellent… Well since I don’t have the luxury of having parents that know my secret I’ll just tell them my rich best friend is taking me to see the Smithsonian museums.”
“They’ve got museums in Washington?”
Ivan punched Brad’s leg.